Fix-It Family Affair
by SweetMcGurran
Summary: Ever notice that player two button on Felix's game? Ever think he could have a sibling, perhaps a sister? Introducing Fix-it-Felix Sr., the quiet, serious father type and the fireball sibling, Mend-it-Molly. They live in the Archives, away from the world of the games. They haven't seen Felix Jr. in 28 years, but a surprising event brings him home for a little get together. (OC
1. Meet Little Miss Mend-It

"Daddy, I'm home!"

Molly hung up her hat on a hook, tossing aside a leather shoulder bag. It fell with a thud to the floor. She kicked off her work boots and entered the living room of her home. She scanned the mail on a small coffee table as she plopped down into an overstuffed armchair, resting her legs on the ottoman. She called again, "Daddy?" which was answered by a grunt from the kitchen. Her father entered, stretching. He was soaking wet, and looked a bit disgruntled. Molly sat up.  
"Daddy, what happened to you? Did you forget to take your clothes off when you took a shower this morning?" She asked, trying to suppress giggles. He furrowed his eyebrows at her.  
"I'm trying to fix the sink. It sprung a leak." He groaned. "I think I just made it worse, though. It was dripping this morning, and now...well, come and see." He returned to the kitchen. Molly rose from her chair and followed him. When she stepped down into the kitchen, her foot sank into an inch of water. She recoiled, stepping back up into the living room.  
"Daddy!" She shouted. The sink was completely flooded, and was overflowing onto the floor. He father had been trying to shovel water out of the window using a large sauce pan. He turned to her, exasperated, throwing up his beefy arms.  
"Get in here, Molly! Help me fix the darn thing!"  
Molly dashed back to where she left her boots. She shoved her feet into them, rolling up her sleeves as she went. She reached into her leather shoulder bag and pulled out a small book and a tool belt, which she clamped around her waist. She returned to her father, carefully making her way through the water. She was flipping through her book.  
"Sinks...Sinks..." She muttered as she dropped to her knees in the water, crawling underneath the sink. Water splashed off her face and off her book. She held up her arm to deflect the water so she could read. "For sinks: Tap three times, then apply adhesive." She tossed her book away and yelled to her father, "Daddy! Get me some adhesive! I think there's a can in my room!" She heard splashes and then footsteps as her father made his way upstairs. Moments later, she felt a cylinder get thrust into her hand. "Thanks, Daddy!" She said, reaching for the hammer in her belt. She raised it, with difficulty from the water. She tapped at the pipe, which had a deep crack running from top to bottom. It sealed slightly. She pounded twice more until it was just a thin crack. She raised her can of adhesive and sprayed an even coat on it.  
"Did you fix it?" Her father asked, leaning over his daughter, who was grinning up at him.  
"Naw, I _mended_ it." She said, pushing herself up. She plucked up her book and thumbed through it. "Sinks are easy. Just be lucky I didn't have to replace the pipe." She wiggled her hammer at him. It was a curious shade of grey. Not the dark warm shade of grey that is iron, but the cool light gleam of silver. "You're lucky I got this. It ain't as good as Felix's, but I'm all you got, daddy." He laughed at her and patted her shoulder.  
"What would I do without you, Molly?"  
"Drown." She replied, reaching for the saucepan. She handed it to her father. "Get scooping." She opened a cupboard, pulling out a large mixing bowl. The two worked scooping water from the floor out the window, onto a neat line of rose bushes, which flourished from the rapid watering.  
"Y'know, Daddy? This happens a lot." Molly said while they worked. "Why don't you just let me do the fixing round' here?" Her father sighed.  
"Molly, you're hardly ever around. You're always off at that silly school of yours, or you're off in some other game tinkering with their settings. You spend more time in Game Central Station then you should, young lady." He said sternly. Molly recoiled. She had not intended for this conversation to be turned on her.  
"Daddy, Game Central Station is not forbidden territory! Why don't you come out with me sometime? We could even go visit Felix-" Her father cut her off.  
"You know we can't do that." He sighed angrily. He tossed his saucepan aside. It bounced off the floor and returned to its original place, a hook on the wall.  
"Why not, Daddy? It's not against the law!" Molly threw up her arms. "Why can't we go visit? It's been so long since we've seen him."  
The man walked gruffly past her.  
"Molly, come sit down." He said sadly. He looked defeated. Molly followed him to the living room. "Boots off." He muttered. Molly kicked off her boots. The two sat on the couch together. Her father looked worried now. He was messing with his gloves like he did when he was upset. Molly felt sick. She hadn't seen her dad look like that since she had moved back home.  
"Daddy?" She asked timidly. He stared at her sadly.  
"We could never get in, Molly." He said, looking down at his socks, which were making puddles on the carpet. "The game removed you."  
"Yeah?" Molly asked. She'd heard this all before. Back when she was edited from the game. "But that doesn't mean we can't visit, right?" Her father shook his head.  
"Molly, we aren't even supposed to leave our archive." He said sternly. Molly rolled her eyes.  
"Then why can I do it every day? Daddy, I bet you can do it too. Let's go see Felix! We can surprise him!" She said excitedly, standing up. Her father grabbed her hand.  
"No, Molly. I can't leave." He began. He bit his lip before finishing. "It's not possible." He locked his fingers together.  
"But daddy-"  
"Who are we, Molly?" He blurted suddenly. She stared at him.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Who are we, Molly." He repeated. She thought about it.  
"Well, you're Fix-it Felix Sr." She began, hesitantly. She was still confused by her father's question. "And I'm...Molly." She uttered. "Mend-It Molly..."  
Felix Sr. Nodded.  
"Yes. Now, what are we?"  
"Daddy, you're frightening me. Can you just cut to the chase?"  
"Answer the question, Molly." He grunted. She stared at him, searching for what he was trying to tell her.  
"I don't understand..." She muttered. Her father rose from the couch, walking to a bookcase. He took a picture from it and returned to her. He placed it on her lap. She looked down into the three happy faces.  
Her father stood in the back. He was standing his hand on his son's shoulder, on the day he had been approved for launch into his own game after development. Her brother's face, so different from her father's, stared up at her, grinning a goofy smile at her. She couldn't help almost giggle at him. She saw herself in the photo too, with her arm around her brother's shoulders. She and her brother were very similar looking, thin, short, with similar facial features. It was easy to tell they were brother and sister. She glanced at her father's face. Much harder and bigger than she and her brother, with dark hair and thick eyebrows and an equally thick mustache. A funny looking father for the young man and woman in the picture.  
"We're...a family?" She questioned at last.  
"We're backstory." He answered. "That is why we can't leave the archive."  
"But then, why can I?" She asked. Still looking down at the picture.  
"You were a character, remember?"  
"Of course I remember..." She uttered under her breath. She never forgot those exciting days, working side by side with her older brother in a game. Even if she didn't get played with much, it was a pleasure just to be around her brother. He was so well liked and he was always good to her, it made her happy just being around. But she'd been disabled. The red player two button she guessed now sat, unused and dusty on the controls of her brother's game. "Why's that matter?"  
"You're part of the game's program. But me, I would look like a virus." He sighed. "We just can't leave, Molly. I'd love to, oh how I'd love to go see Felix. It's been at least...sheesh going on 28 years since we've seen him."  
"Then...why don't I go get him? Bring him home for a visit?"  
"Molly, are you out of your mind?" He shouted suddenly. He stood. "That would risk getting his game unplugged. That would be the end of us all. Is that what you want, Molly?"  
"No, Daddy...I jus-"  
"Molly, I don't think I want you leaving the archive anymore." He said, cutting her off. "You're thinking too much. I think it's best if you stayed in from now on."  
"But Dad, I gotta' go to school!" She argued, standing too. He towered over her, but she had no fear.  
"You ain't going to that school anymore. It's useless information being drilled into your head. Life beyond our own games? The real world? Molly, it's all trash, and you know it!" He yelled. Molly could feel angry tears forming in her eyes.  
"Why are you punishing me like this? I didn't do anything wrong!"  
"You're right, you didn't do anything. But you certainly could have!" He spat back. He stuck out his hand.  
"Gimme' the hammer."  
"What?"  
"Give me the hammer, Molly."  
"It's not yours to take! Mom gave it to-" She broke off. Her father had reached forward and snatched it from her tool belt. She tried to grab it back but he had already placed it in his own belt.  
"Go upstairs." He breathed angrily.  
"You can't get huffy with me when I talk about mom." Molly said coldly. "It's a bad thing to get mad over someone you care about." She added, as tears finally escaped down the sides of her face. She turned and dashed away, knocking a stack of letters off the coffee table and scattering them across the floor. She ran up the stairs and into her bedroom. She slammed the door behind her as hard as she could. She then proceeded to take a run at the wall and let loose on it. Punching it and banging her fists on it. With each crack or dent, it would bounce back to its original shape. She hit and banged until she was exhausted and she fell into her bed. She pulled a pillow over her head and cried a bit.

Never go outside again? Jiminy, what an awful thing. What an evil, terrible thing to do. And take away her hammer? Her one connection to her mother? She threw the pillow across the room. It smacked hard against the dresser and dislodged a picture frame, knocking it to the floor. She rose from her bed and approached the photo, gingerly picking it up. The glass was cracked. She sighed, taking the photo with her to her bed as she lay down again. She stared at the photograph. It was the only picture of her mother she had. She was smiling up at her. She had her arms around her and her brother back in development. Felix was laughing and Molly had the biggest most ridiculous grin on her face. This was before her mother had been taken from the program completely. Molly sighed.

Back in starting development, Molly's brother's game had been very different. It had been about their father, Fix-It-Felix and their Mother, Mend-it Mary. Molly and her brother were supposed to be the 'medal' you got at the end of each game. Molly remembered early game tests, standing up on top of a high building, her arms bound to her brother's, who would be constantly panicking and trying to break free. Molly was never scared, though. She knew her mother and father would scale the building and set them free and push the bad guy off the building. Then they would go home for dinner. Everything was perfect, except for her mother's system bug.

They said they couldn't get it right. No matter how hard they tried. So they deleted her and started over again. Molly felt tears collect in the corners of her eyes. She blinked, trying to force them away. The day her mother had been erased had been the worst day of her life. Her mother had given her and her brother and father last hugs goodbye the morning of the editing. She had slipped Molly her hammer, too, while she had held her shaking shoulders. And then, she was gone. Removed from the code. That's when everything really changed. Molly and Felix went from small children to adults, reprogrammed to be heroes, not victims. Felix Sr. Handed down his hammer to his son, and then the roles reversed. Now, it was their father getting kidnapped by their game's villain, Wreck-it-Ralph. Molly had always liked Ralph, even if he forced her to climb up a building every day to get her father. He had always been kind to her when she had been a child, and that didn't change, even when they had to fight with every starting game.

But it ended with the Nicelanders. The developers created them as side characters to be seen in the windows of the penthouse, but in tests, people preferred them over Felix Sr., as they were easier to animate. So, he was cut from the game. But they didn't erase him. Molly remembered the fear of losing her father, and not being able to sleep. She had had to crawl in bed with her brother, something she hadn't done since her childhood stage. They had gotten up extra early to say their goodbyes when they heard the news.

"I'm not being erased." He had told them, hugging them both, lifting them off the ground.

"But-?" Felix had begun to say before the breath was squeezed out of them.

"I'm being coded in as back-story!" Her father had shouted excitedly, spinning them around the air. Molly had been elated on that day.

"Thank goodness!"

Molly sighed, rolling over. After that it was easy. They stamped her brother's name on the game and they were inserted. They were shipped and installed. Then, their news lives began. As the player two, Molly didn't expect too much attention. She spent most of her days inside the penthouse as Ralph shook it about and her brother scaled it to fix it. But on the occasions she did get to play, she enjoyed every second of it. Even if she lost most of the time. She would leap high above her brother, setting to work on a high window that had been shattered. She almost always got hit by something though, knocking her down, making her lose a life. She would sit at those windows while Felix zipped by, tapping them with her father's hammer, fixing them perfectly with each swing. She worked at the pace of a snail, forced to move slowly because of her 'average hammer'. After two years of game overs at her hand, she was cut, and sent to the archives just like her father. That was the last time she had seen her brother. She and her father were now forbidden from the game by the game officials, as they would appear as glitchy masses of pixels on the screen, due to their shoddy removal. But that never stopped Molly from going out into Game Central Station. She had even seen Ralph out there before, usually coming out of Tapper's. She attended a sort of 'school' for unplugged characters, where they would observe the gamers. Molly's favorite game to watch from was Pac Man, because it was right next door to her brother's game, and it she craned her neck, she could sometimes see him bouncing around, fixing windows and walls.

"Why can't you just drop in to say hi, brother?" She mumbled. She rolled over again. There were more pictures on her dresser of her and her brother and their father. Some of them from when they were children, fewer were from adulthood. She rubbed the tears from her eyes. This was one of those times when she just wanted to run off, maybe to Tappers or try to find Ralph to ask him about her brother. She got up. She was a grown woman. She couldn't let her father push her around, just because he couldn't leave and she could. She checked herself quickly in the mirror. Her eyes were slightly pink from tears, but otherwise, she looked ready to win a battle. She took a deep breath as she exited her room and went downstairs. She found her dad sitting on the couch, reading a sheet of paper.  
"Daddy," she began promptly. "I've decided that you have no right to force me to stay in the archives. I can come and go as I please. I'm not a little sprite anymore, I-"  
"Molly, read this. Tell me if I'm reading right." He interrupted, handing her the sheet of paper. She took it, bringing it close to her face. She scanned it, at first annoyed. But then she grasped what the paper was saying. She almost dropped it. She sat next to her father on the couch.  
"It's...It's from Felix, Daddy!" She suddenly burst out, looking at her father excitedly.  
"Read it, Molly." He said softly. She nodded and began to read aloud.

_"Dear Dad,_  
_How are you? I'd say I'm well. Very well! In fact, I'd go so far to say that I'm fantastic! In the past few months a lot of amazing things have happened, more than I can write down. But there is one thing that I simply can't skim over. I'm getting Married!"_

"Married?" Molly repeated.  
"Keep reading."

_"I met the most amazing gal, dad. She's gorgeous, smart, and everything a man could ever want in a lady. She's the most amazing person I've ever met. At first I thought we were moving too fast but we both feel it was meant to be."_

"Holy Scrap, he must be really smitten." Molly said, pausing again from the letter. "He sounds like penny novel."  
"Molly, please."  
"Alright, alright..."

_"We'll be getting married next week, but I wanted you to meet her. I'm sure you'll love her dad. And I bet Molly will too. Say hi to her for me, will you? Ralph says he sees her running around Game Central Station. Tell her to be careful, would you?"_

"Sheesh, Felix!" She groaned before continuing.

_"We're getting married over a Holiday, so no gamers will be around. I figured it would also be a good time to bring her round to meet you! We'll be there at around closing on the first day of the holiday! I hope you don't mind, Dad, but I'm bringing some other friends along, too. We can make a real commotion about it! See you soon!__-Felix"_

"Holy scrap!" Molly cried. "He's coming here? To the archives?" She hopped up excitedly. Her dad couldn't possibly be angry with her now. She looked at him. "Daddy, isn't this great?" He smiled at her.  
"You think we can set up the house for guests?" He held out her hammer to him. She took it.  
"Thanks, daddy." She said happily, turning to leave.  
"I still don't want you leaving the archives." He added. Molly froze and cringed angrily. But she let it slide. She'd warm him up to it later. Right now she had some serious work to do! She bounded up the stairs, past her bedroom to her brother's room. She pushed the door open and stepped in. She approached his window, gently tapping the glass with her hammer. It began to morph and pixelate until it formed a door. She opened the door, grinning. "Perfect." She began tapping the walls of the blank room, and pixels appeared, forming the fixtures one would find in a bathroom. "I better get some sort of metal for doing all this, Felix." She muttered as she got down on her knees to install the newly generated sink. When she finished she stepped back, admiring her handy work. She turned to face the bedroom again. She gave her brother's bed frame a hard tap on the headboard and it widened to form a queen sized bed. She got pushed away from it and bumped into a bedside table. She groaned. "This darn bedroom...So small." She tapped the walls, forcing them to spread apart. She scooted away from the bedside table and exited the room, closing the door behind her. She'd let her brother handle everything else in there when he arrived. She proceeded to make another bedroom out of a closet before she realized she had no clue how many people would be showing up.  
"Hey dad?" She called down the stairs, "How many rooms should I make up, anyhow?"  
"Not too many, Molly. We don't need more rooms!" He called back. He was messing about in the kitchen. "Just build some...cots or something!"  
"But we want his friends to be comfortable!"  
"Fine, fine! Build an extra room, then! Just one, though, Molly!"  
"Already done!" She replied happily. She went to work furnishing the room with two beds, and added another bathroom for good measure. When at last she was finished, she felt tired. It took a lot to make things, that was for sure. As she walked past her room, she sidetracked, walking to her bed, picking up her picture, tapping it, fixing the glass. She smiled as she placed it on her dresser again. She went downstairs to help her dad in the kitchen. He was cleaning.  
"When does the holiday even start, anyway?" He asked when she stepped in, going to the fridge to check out its contents.  
"How should I know?" She asked, pulling out a carton of juice.  
"Well, you spend so much time in that station, I'd think you'd know." He said, tossing her a rag. "Wipe down the table, will ya'?"  
"Oh. That makes sense. I heard that nice fella Mario talking about getting a few days off this morning when he and a bunch of those little mushroom people were getting on their train into their game this morning. I guess it's coming up quick..." she sighed as she wiped down the table. "But I don't really know for sure..." She paused. "Maybe if I could go back, I could find out for you, daddy..." She closed her eyes, praying he'd catch. There was a sigh and the sound of squeaking as Felix Sr. rubbed down the counter.  
"Alright, Molly. You can go. But don't be out too long, just get the information and come straight home, alright?" He said turning to her. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him.  
"Thanks Daddy!" She yelled as she left, stepping into her boots and grabbing her hat, pushing it on her head and weaving her ponytail through the back of it. "I'll be back soon!" She called as she closed the door behind her.

"Hiya, Monty."  
"Back already, Molly?" Asked Monty. He looked down at his clipboard. "You were just here an half hour ago."  
"I know. I forgot something."  
"Well, It's closing time, so you best be careful, everyone's getting off for the holiday weekend so the station going to be real busy."  
"Wait, the holiday is starting _now_!? Molly asked.  
"Yes ma'am. Getting a nice five day weekend." Monty replied. "This is a busy time for me. Lots of characters go in to see their parents in the archives."  
"I bet." Said Molly grinning. "Well, I guess I'll be boarding. Gotta' go pick up something I left at Tapper's."  
"Alright, Molly. Get in." Monty said, smiling. She climbed the steps up to the tram and sat down. She was the only one there. She was buzzing with excitement. The holiday had begun! Her brother must be on his way with his friends- heck, with his fiancé, too! She peered out the window as she went, watching the tram fly through the archives, past all the games' centers of backstory and information. She waved cheerily at a troop of asteroids as they made their way out of their archive. She hadn't been this excited since she'd been launched in her first game. She thought about how great it would be to have her brother home again, just like when they were little. She wondered who he'd be bringing with. Hopefully not any Nicelanders. Molly was still bitter about them. They were never too kind to her. Especially that jerk with the mustache that had a lady sounding name.  
As the tram pulled into Game Central Station, she scanned the masses of people for any sign of Felix. But she couldn't see him. She climbed out of the tram and leaned against a gate.  
"I'll just wait here." She said to herself. She watched people pass by, she waved to people she knew from her observation classes. A group of Pac man ghosts stopped by to chat before going on their way. She was beginning to worry. She had promised to be gone too long, and if she stayed much longer she would be in a lot of trouble. She scanned the station again. She sighed. Maybe he was lying. Maybe it was a trick. Maybe that mustached jerk had written that letter just to cause her and her dad some pain. She climbed back onto the tram.  
"Hey, hold that door, please!" Someone behind her shouted. She turned to see a little girl running towards her. She was a tiny thing, with black hair pulled back in a ponytail. There appeared to be bits of candy stuck in her hair. She dashed up to Molly. "Hold the door!" She repeated. Molly cocked an eyebrow.  
"And who might you be, young'n?" She asked, crouching to the kid's level.  
"Don't give me that, just hold the door!" The girl replied, putting her hands on her hips. "Me and my associates got places to be!"  
"You're kind of a rude one, ain't you?" Molly said, rolling her eyes and standing. "Were you raised in a barn?" The girl rolled her eyes back and past her. Molly sighed. Great. She was going to be trapped in a tram with a little girl and her 'associates'. How could be any- that's when she noticed a tall figure approaching the tram. He was a hulking man with fly-away auburn hair. He was looking around, confused.  
"Where'd she run off to?" He said, continuing towards the tram. Molly's jaw dropped.  
"Ralph?" She called to the man. Ralph looked up.  
"Molly? Mend-it-Molly? Is that you? He asked, grinning. He ran to greet her, scooping her up in his arms for a hug. Molly felt like her lungs were going to burst, but it felt good to receive some sort of hug. When he let her down, he crouched to her level. "How're you doing?" He asked. Molly grinned and stuck her hands in her pockets.  
"Aw, y'know, same old. Sitting in the archives, collecting dust." She replied.  
"Sure, that's why I keep seeing you run around the Station, right?" He said, gently knocking her in the shoulder. She almost stumbled backwards. "Why don't you ever stop by and say hello?"  
"Aw, my daddy is a bit nervous about me going in games, on account of the blurry pixels." She grunted, rolling her eyes. "He's such a serious Samson."  
Ralph laughed.  
"Well, I'm sure your brother can talk him into coming by for visits."  
Molly laughed uneasily. She didn't want to mention how her father was on occasion bitter about her brother rarely corresponding or visiting. She tried to change the subject.  
"So, you're the friend he's bringing along?" She asked.  
"Well, yeah. It's me, Sergeant, and Vanellope." He paused. "You haven't seen a little girl with candy in her hair have you?" He asked abruptly.  
"Oh, her? Yeah, she's running around in the tram." She pointed back. Ralph looked up, spotting the girl hopping around on the seats. "Uhm, who's 'Sergeant'?" She asked timidly. The name _Sergeant_ struck fear in her. She'd met a group of Sergeants from a combat game a few years back and they had been tough dishes to deal with.  
"Ah, Sergeant. You'll meet her in a sec; she and Felix had to hang behind for a minute. See you inside, I better go calm that kid down." Said Ralph, passing her, ducking into the tram.  
"She?" She muttered. She looked up, and she felt her jaw drop again. There he was. For the first time in twenty-eight years, she saw her brother. He was looking up at a tall blonde woman in very threatening looking battle armor. Molly forgot her fear and began to run. She was too excited. Felix paused from his conversation, noting a figure running towards him.  
"Felix!" She called, excitedly. He grinned, running to meet her. He reached for his tool belt, pulling out his hammer. Molly reached for hers. When the two met, they both raised them in unison and banged them together; producing a gold spark and loud 'ding' as they shouted together "We can fix it!" The two laughed at their old "Catchphrase" as they hugged each other.  
"Lookit' you, Mr. Fix-It!" Molly said, tugging his cap over his eyes. He pulled away, adjusting himself, before doing the same to her.  
"Haven't changed a bit, have you Molly?" The siblings laughed and embraced again.  
"It's so good to see you." Said Molly. She almost felt like crying. She bit the insides of her cheeks to stop herself. It had been so long, she couldn't even imagine how much could have changed in such a great time.  
"Fix-It, aren't you gonna introduce me?" Asked the tall woman standing by. Molly had almost forgotten she was there. She released her brother and stared up at her. Apart from the relatively kind smile on her face, Molly could only think "If looks could kill, I'd be deader than dust."  
"Oh!" Said Felix, excitedly. He tugged Molly to the woman. "Tamora, this is my sister, Mend-It-Molly. "Molly, this is my fiancé, Sergeant Tamora Calhoun."  
"N-nice to meet you..." Stuttered Molly, holding out her hand. The Sergeant shook it vigorously, nearly wrenching her arm from its socket.  
"It's good to meet you too, kid." She replied as she released Molly, who instantly grabbed her now very sore arm. She managed to pass it off as an awkward arm gesture. She felt embarrassed. She didn't really like being called kid, nor did she like getting her arm wrenched. She shook it off as best she could. She wouldn't let anything ruin this.  
"I wish you could've given us sooner notice, Felix." Molly started on their way into the tram. "We just got the letter today. Actually, scratch that. We got it about an hour ago. When did you send it?"  
"Yesterday. I guess I shoulda' been a tad more specific." He said, laughing. Molly let Felix and the Sergeant in the tram before she climbed in, sliding the door shut. She pressed an intercom button.  
"Take me back in, Monty. I got what I was looking for." There was a crackley call of "Roger." As the tram began to move out of the station. Molly took a seat opposite the group of travelers, beaming at them excitedly.  
"So," She started, leaning back in her seat. "What game are you from, Ma'am? I don't think I've seen you around in the station."  
"Hero's Duty." The woman replied. "I don't leave too often."  
"Oh." Molly sat up. "Then...how on earth did you two meet?" The group looked each other.  
"It's a long story that I don't think is worth getting into." Ralph blurted out. Molly glanced at him. The little girl was rolling her eyes.  
"You're just mad cuz' it was your fault, stink brain." She said smugly.  
"It was not my fault, squirt. Not all of it, anyway."  
Molly looked at Felix for help. He gave her a look that read "Please don't go into it." Molly furrowed her eyebrows.  
"Fine, Don't tell me, but daddy's gonna' wanna' know. Every bit of it, Felix. You know how he is." Molly muttered to her brother.  
"I know, I know." He said, exasperated. "He'll pick the whole deal apart, I know it."  
"And I will be there, with popcorn." She teased. The Sergeant giggled. Felix flashed her a slightly annoyed look. Molly smiled. Maybe she could like her future sister in law. "Daddy always has to pick apart every little thing. Every time I go out, the second I get in he gets all uppity and nervous and makes me tell him everything I did. I think he thinks I'm trying to run away." There was a bit of an awkward break in the air.  
"Are you?" Felix asked timidly.  
"What?" Molly blurted, embarrassed. "No way! I'd never leave daddy all alone in there! That'd be just plain terrible." Felix eyed her, but then turned to converse with his female companion. Molly watched them. It was one of the strangest things she had ever witnessed in her entire life.  
Back when her mother was around, her parents had been very open about their relationship with their children. They kissed often, were always cuddling or holding hands, and often partook in the disgustingly adorable pet-name talk common in teenagers. But seeing her brother, this solid sentient of bachelorhood, holding the hand of this very tall, very oppressive looking woman, who was looking intently into his eyes, listening to whatever thing he had to say made molly a little uncomfortable. Molly hadn't even been paying attention when the Sergeant turned to her to say something.  
"You still with us, Mend-It?" Molly heard through her thoughts. Molly shook her head to clear her head.  
"Pardon?"  
The Sergeant laughed at her.  
"She's an aloof one, huh?"  
Molly felt stung again. She needed to snap out of it and focus on the present and not think about her mother or father, she had to focus on the task at hand.  
"I didn't get much sleep last night, ma'am..." Molly explained, "I stayed out a bit later than I intended to last night."  
"Oh?" The Sergeant leaned in a little. "Where'd you go?"  
"Uhm..." Molly stuttered. She hadn't gone out at all the night before. She never went out past closing. "I...went to...uh...Tapper's. With some friends." She finished, nervously. Ralph looked over at her.  
"You go to Tapper's?" He asked, grinning a little. "You don't seem the type, Molly."  
"Well...uh...yeah. I go there on occasion. I enjoy the...err, atmosphere." She replied. Felix was looking at her funny. His eyebrows were furrowed in a strange way. She raised her own brows at him and turned back to the Sergeant. "Anyways, enough about my social life. What was it you were saying about me?"  
"Oh, I was just saying that this one didn't even tell me he had a sister until a couple days ago." Said the woman, nudging Felix. "He didn't even mention your dad."  
"Do not tell daddy that." Molly began, aiming a kick across at her brother. She gave him a hard knock to the knee. He yelped out in pain, rewarding her with a nasty look. "And thanks, brother. You're a real sweetheart. You never visit AND you never even talk about us? Shame, brother shame!" Molly teased. She felt stung, but it felt better to make jokes.  
"Well, it slipped my mind; I was so busy with other things. Sheesh, Molly." Groaned Felix, rubbing his knee.  
"Felix, that's an all out fib. Daddy taught you better." Molly spat suddenly. She didn't know where it had burst from. She decided it would be best to continue. "Daddy taught us never to lie, Felix. You weren't busy with other things, heck you don't do much of anything, cept' fix that darn building every day." She paused, nervous about the sentence rolling around in her mouth, begging to be spat out. "You just forget about us. You've been too busy living cushy in your own game." She began to feel hot an embarrassed again. She willed herself to stop but she felt another rude sentence force its way to the surface. "Heck, Felix, Even Ralph comes out here and visits his momma every so often!"  
At this Felix and the Sergeant raised their eyebrows, looking to Ralph.  
"What?" Said Ralph uncomfortably. "She cooks good and she's a grade A lady!" Vanellope and the Sergeant laughed. Molly breathed easy. Her outburst had been quickly segued to Ralph. She smiled and laughed with the other girls, glancing at Felix. Now it was him who looked nervous and uncomfortable. Molly bit the inside of her cheek. She'd struck a nerve, and she knew it. She leaned forward to whisper to him.  
"Lixie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that." She muttered. Felix turned a little pink at the sound of the silly nickname.  
"Don't call me that, Tamora will laugh at me." He whispered back.  
"Oh please, don't be ashamed of your family. It's not like we don't share code or anything." Molly retorted coolly. Felix bit his lip.  
"Molly, I'm not ashamed of you." He started. His voice had dropped low so only Molly could hear. "I'm just real nervous about Tamora meeting Dad." He locked his fingers together nervously. "I guess I'm just taking my butterflies out on you." Molly sighed, reaching over to take her brother's hand.  
"Don't sweat it. Dad's gonna love her. He'll just be glad to have you home. Don't be scared, ok?" She smiled at him. "Chin up, Lixie."  
"Thanks, Ly'." He whispered, smiling. He straightened up, asking the tram at large, "So, when do we get in, anyway?"  
"About five minutes now." Said Molly, peering out the window. She could see the Archives building looming ahead, with all its doors, all lined up neat and orderly. "Ever been to the archives?" She asked the little girl and the tall sergeant. They both shook their heads.  
"There isn't an archive for Sugar Rush. None of us have any backstory." Piped the little girl.  
"Oh, you're from Sugar Rush?" Molly asked.

"Lady, I AM sugar Rush!" Cried the little girl, jumping onto her seat. "I am President Vanellope Von Schweetz!"

Molly cocked an eyebrow, glancing at Ralph.  
"Is she for real?" Molly asked. Ralph laughed and nodded. "Well, it truly will be an honor to have you, Miss. President." Molly said kindly. Molly liked children. She was pretty good at dealing with them. Vanellope seemed pleased and was sitting back in her chair, chatting rapidly with Ralph. Felix was explaining her father to his fiancé. Molly sat, her hands folded in her lap. It was going to be a very interesting holiday.


	2. The Great Race

**[Here we are! Chapter Two! I'm really sorry my Chapters are so long...I just can never stop! anyway, I hope you enjoy!]**

"Molly?"

"Hm?"  
She looked up. Ralph was crouched in front of her.  
"You ok?" He asked. Molly turned a little pink.  
"Did I drift off?" Molly muttered, embarrassed as she scratched the back of her head. "Sorry."  
"No problem. We didn't want to leave you here." Said Ralph, smiling at her. "Come on." Molly rose, following him out. She stepped down onto the archive tarmac. She saw Felix greeting Monty, and Vanellope was rapidly bouncing around. Molly's jaw dropped at the sparky blue light that encased her as she moved.  
"She's the Sugar Rush _Glitch_?" asked Molly, glancing up at Ralph.  
"The one and only." He replied, grinning. "She's a real spaz, isn't she?"  
"I heard that, sprinkle head!" Called the kid, sparking and glitching in front of him. She then remained static, placing her hands on her hips.  
"Amazing!" Said Molly enthusiastically. She wasn't lying either. Molly had always had a sort of intrigue with system glitches and bugs, ever since her mother's removal. Molly could almost be considered an expert on errors in programming. "You have amazing control. You're a real lucky girl." She added, flashing Vanellope a thumbs up.  
"I like this lady." Said the little girl.  
"Molly?"  
"Yeah?" She turned. Felix was standing with his tall blonde companion. "Oh- ready to go?"  
"Yes ma'am." He replied.

The group turned and faced a large door with the words "Fix-it-Felix Jr. Archives." Printed neatly on it. Molly pressed a large red button on one side and the door slowly opened.  
"Welcome home." Molly whispered, taking her brother's hand. He was shaking a little. "Don't be scared." She added, giving his hand a squeeze.  
"Jimminy, I feel like I'm gonna' be sick." He muttered, suddenly squeezing her hand hard.  
"Relax, babe, it's going to be fine." The Sergeant added, kneeling down to his level. Molly let him go.  
"I'll go in ahead, okay? I'll warm him up for you." Molly timidly offered. Her brother nodded rapidly, his eyes clamped shut. "Just relax, ok?" She turned, stepping through the door into the archive. The world around her changed. The hard tarmac turned to soft grass, the grey walls changed to a brilliant blue. She started to run. "Daddy!" she called. She quickly came upon her house. She wrenched the door open, calling for her father. "Daddy! Guess what?"  
"Molly, what took you so long?" He called from the kitchen.  
"No time, daddy, guess who's here?" She said excitedly. Her dad poked his head out from the kitchen. His eyebrows looked like they were about ready to fly off his head.  
"You're kidding, he's here already?" He asked.  
"Yup, holiday began at closing today." Molly replied. "He's just outside the archives, having a nervous fit, poor lamb."  
"Nervous fit? What on earth for?" Asked Felix Sr., stepping out of the kitchen. He was wearing an apron. Molly giggled. He looked down at himself and tore it off, embarrassed.  
"I dunno', I've never seen him act so weird." She paused. "Daddy, don't pick him apart like you usually do, okay?  
"What?"  
"You know, daddy...Don't bombard him with questions. Don't...I dunno', daddy, don't lecture him on visiting or whatever you've got running in your head. Not while his fiancé is here."  
"You met her? What's she like?" He asked, cutting her off.  
"Tall." Molly said bluntly. "Tall and a bit frightening. But she seems like a nice gal. She treats him really good." She absent mindedly straightened a vase of flowers on a nearby table. "Oh, also, the friends he's brought along are a little kid from that game Sugar Rush I told you about, and Wreck-it-Ralph, too."  
"What?!" Felix Sr. shouted, "Ralph, in my house?!"  
"Daddy please don't go there either." Molly pleaded. "Ralph is a really nice guy, trust me on that."  
"No man who wrecks buildings and throws people is not by any means a nice guy, Molly!"  
"Hey, he only throws that one guy, ok?" Molly said angrily. "In any case, Daddy, Ralph is practically family, so we need to be good hosts, ok?" Felix Sr. looked about ready to protest, but Molly cut him off before he could utter a word. "Daddy, I know this might be hard but you need to relax or you're gonna' give Felix a heart attack or something. He's scared something awful out there and you acting like a fuss pot won't help anything."  
"But-"  
"No buts, daddy!" She put her hands on her hips. "I'm a little irritated that he hasn't come and seen us til' now, but darnit, daddy I'm not about to risk having him never come back because you didn't behave."  
Felix stared at her, but smiled and began to laugh.  
"What are you laughing at?" Molly asked, irritated. Could she never be taken seriously?  
"Nothing, it's just... You're acting just like your momma right now." He stood up. "I'll try my best to, err...tone it down. But that Ralph character has to be on his absolute best behavior or he is out. You hear me?"  
"Yes, Daddy." Molly turned. "I'm gonna' go check and see if his majesty is ready to grace us with his presence." She glanced at the apron that was bunched up in his hand. "Better not put that back on." She added as she left. She sprinted across the lawn, out the archive portal. "All set inside!" She called as she entered the Archive atrium. Felix was calmer now, but his face was pale, and he still looked a bit ill. The Sergeant was holding his hand. Molly felt her heart ache for him, but she shook it off. "Is everyone ready to go in?" They nodded.  
"He's not mad that I'm here, is he?" Ralph piped up. Molly's ears turned a little red and shook her head.  
"No, no. He was a bit surprised but he's a good man, he doesn't mind. Now," She began, preparing to rattle off the "Archive Speech" she had been taught by Monty.  
"When entering the Archives, it is like entering a foreign game. If you die in the archives, you will not regenerate. This is highly unlikely, however if you are from the game Asteroids, proceed with caution." Ralph and Vanellope chuckled. "I have been asked to inform you of potential dangers in my archive. There are none. Just don't fall down the stairs or break anything over your head." She glanced at Ralph. "Beware of Fix-it-Felix Sr., he is a nosy man and will ask you a lot of questions. If he is getting out of hand-" She looked at her brother and smiled. "Let me know." He smiled weakly back as she turned around to face the portal. "Now follow me, please. I'll be closing the gate behind us, so don't hang behind." She stepped through into the bright world she called home. She walked forward, turning to watch the others come through. The look of surprise on both Vanellope and the Sergeant's faces were satisfying to Molly. The archive in which she lived was one of the best, since it had such an amazing maintenance crew. She waited until the entire party had entered before passing them, slamming her foot hard on a grass covered plate on the ground, sealing the entrance.  
"Is that your house?" Vanellope asked, pointing to the small picturesque house in the distance.  
"Yes'm." Molly said, putting her hands on her hips proudly. "Shoulda' seen it when it was first programmed. Nothing but a box. I fixed it up real nice for daddy. Fixed it up even better when I moved in." She looked at Ralph, "Did it for your mom, too. Are you gonna' go visit her, Ralph? Since you're here?"  
"I guess I should. I'll catch up to you guys later, I guess." Ralph replied. "C'mon squirt, you stick with me." He added to Vanellope. The two headed off towards another house far off to the east. "See you guys in a little bit, ok?"  
"Will do!" Molly called back. She turned to remaining party members. "You ok, brother?" She asked. He nodded. Most of the color had returned to his face.  
"Ready as I think I'll ever be, Molly." He sighed. "Gotta' treat this like a band aid. Get it over with."  
"You alright, Ma'am?" Molly then asked the Sergeant, who despite the worried looks on her face concerning her fiancé, looked fine.  
"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied. "I'm with Fix-it, here. It's best to get these kind of things over with."  
"Ok, then. We're off." The three headed off for the small house. The front door opened and Molly and Felix's Father appeared. He was wiping his hands on the front of his shirt, He then folded them, waiting for them to approach.  
"Howdy!" He called as they stepped up to the house. He stepped forward. "Hey there, junior, how's about a hug for your old man?" Felix let go of the Sergeants hand and nervously stepped up to his father, looking up into his face. Seeing only a kind and slightly relieved smile on his lightly lined face, he smiled back and embraced his father.  
"It's good to see you, Dad." He said, pulling away. "I'm sorry I haven't visited-"  
"It's no problem, son. You're a busy man." He Grabbed Felix's hat and tipped it gently. "I know how it is. Don't apologize."

Molly felt her heart lift. He dad was being the daddy he'd been all those years ago, before he became nervous and serious. He was good ol' daddy again. She hoped it would last. She glanced at the Sergeant, expecting her to be standing impatiently, waiting to be introduced. But she was shocked to see her nervously looking at the ground.  
"Dad," Felix began, reaching out and taking the Sergeant's hand, gently tugging her forward, "This is my fiancé, Tamora."  
"How do you do?" She asked kindly, holding out her hand to him. Felix Sr. studied her face and took it.  
"Felix wasn't kidding when he said you were a gorgeous lady." He nudged Felix in the shoulder with his elbow. "He's a lucky man, I must say." He paused, glancing at Molly, who gave him a _'Stop now before it gets creepy.'_ look. "It's a real honor to meet you. I'm Fix-it Felix Sr., but you can call me "Dad" if you like. It'll put a stop to any future name confusion, right, Felix?"  
"Right, Dad." Felix said shyly. Molly bit her lip. It was getting awkward.  
"Daddy, why don't you go finish up in the kitchen and I'll show Felix and Miss. Calhoun around the house." She asked.  
"Alright." He replied, before looking around. "Where's Ralph and your other companion?"  
"Visiting Rita." She replied.  
"Rita?" The Sergeant asked.  
"Ralph's mother." Felix answered.  
"Oh, well that's fine. We'll see them later, I suppose, won't we?" Asked Felix Sr., as he turned to go back into the house. "Molly fixed up your room for you two, Felix." He turned and gave him a warning look. "No funny business." Molly instantly turned red, as did her brother.  
"DAD!" He cried angrily. The Sergeant giggled. Molly adjusted her hat so it covered her eyes.  
"You were so close daddy..." She muttered. "Uh...come on, I'll show you upstairs." She uttered as she pushed past them into the house, tugging her hat over her eyes. She headed up the stairs, glancing back briefly to see her brother trudging up the steps behind him, his cheeks and ears beet red with embarrassment. "Too far, Lixie?" She teased. He gave a look that shot daggers. She bit her lip, turning around and stepping up onto the second floor landing.  
"Your house is lovely." The sergeant tried, busting through the awkward silence.  
"Thanks. I modeled it after the house we lived in as kids." Molly returned, jutting her thumb in the direction of a framed photograph. "Look familiar?" The Sergeant peered closely at the picture. The exterior was almost exactly the same as the house they were now in. It was slightly smaller looking, and had a few more windows.  
"Wow, that's amazing...That was your house back in development?" Felix and Molly both nodded. "When I was in development, we lived in barracks." Molly cocked her eyebrows sympathetically.  
"One of our neighbor games was like that. Fifteen people all crammed into a cramped little boxy building. Momma wanted to go and help them out, but Daddy forbid it." She pointed to her bedroom door, which stood ajar. "That's my room. Don't bother going in there, it's boring." She reached out and grabbed the door handle, pulling it shut. Her room was personal. "You two will be down here, across from the guest room."  
"Guest room?" Asked Felix. "We don't have a gues-" He paused. "You made one?"  
"Yep, built for two. Didn't know your companions would be a grown man and a little girl though. Might have to change it around a bit." She pushed open the door to her brother's room. "Here we are. Hope you two don't mind sharing. Not that you would, but-" She caught sight of her brother's face, which was beginning to turn red again. "Anyway! There is a bathroom over there, and there's a pleasant view of the archive out that window there." She awkwardly rocked on the balls of her feet. "I guess that's it. If you have any problems, I'll gladly come and mend-it up good for you."

Felix has walked to his dresser, examining the framed pictures. He selected one and examined it. Molly approached him, peeking over his shoulder. It was the same picture she had knocked over in her room earlier, the photo of the family before the edit.  
"You ok?" She asked softly.  
"Yeah...I just wish she was here, ya' know?"

A pregnant pause followed as Molly placed her hand on her brother's shoulder. The Sergeant behind them awkwardly shifted her weight from one leg to the other before bravely asking,  
"Who was here?"  
The siblings both turned, Felix still holding the picture.  
"Oh, right. I didn't tell you." He crossed past her, sitting on the bed. He patted it next to him and she sat. Molly leaned against his dresser. She decided to stick around in case Felix needed her for comfort or to fill in holes in the stories he was about to share.  
"Back when my game was in development, it was really different. Heck, it wasn't even my game, it was my father's. He used to fix up a network of buildings to get the prize, Molly and myself." The Sergeant looked at Molly, who nodded to confirm this.  
"We'd get tied up on the tops of these buildings and Dad would climb up and get us." She added.  
"But he didn't do it alone. Our mother used to help him save us during our game." He held out the picture to her. "Her name was Mary."  
"Mend-it-Mary." Molly chimed in.  
"Why are you...a kid in this?" The Sergeant asked, staring down at the children and their mother.  
"Well, back when the game was about our parents, Molly and I were programmed to be children."  
"Oh." She said softly. "You were a cute kid." She leaned on him. "You two look a lot like her."  
"Yeah, we take more after her then Daddy." Said Molly, joining the two on the bed, sitting with her arms folded across her knees. "Which is good. I think Felix would look real funny with dark hair and a mustache." The Sergeant laughed.  
"Very funny." Felix said, chuckling a little too as he took the picture back from her fiancé. "Anyway, back when we were kids, our mom used to talk about how neat it would be seeing us get married and having grandkids. She knew we couldn't ever grow up because of the program, but she liked to dream. She was a lady with big plans."  
"Big plans, but a very short future." Molly added. She felt the tears forming in the corners of her eyes again. She glanced at Felix. His eyes too showed signs of tears.  
"What happened to her?" The Sergeant asked softly, taking Felix's hand.  
"She had a bad system error." He replied in a half whisper. "I'm sorry, I don't talk about it much." He added as he choked back a sob. Molly hadn't realized this was probably the first time he'd talked about their mother in a very long time. She didn't know if he even had a picture of her. She put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.  
"It was a color bug. It made her color all scrambled up. She used to make jokes about it, like her face would turn green and she'd pretend to be a witch." Felix managed, chuckling a little. "That always made me laugh..." He held the picture closer to his face. "This picture was taken a couple weeks before she starting glitching. The color bug took over. Sometimes she'd just...turn into a string of code, or she'd get all blurry. The developers couldn't fix it, so..." He paused, biting his lip.  
"They deleted her from the program." Molly finished for him. The Sergeant's eyes widened.  
"That's awful..." she said softly, looking down at the photo in Felix's hands.  
"It was." Felix muttered. "It was the worst thing that ever happened to us." He rested the photo in his lap as he wiped his eyes. "But she wasn't upset. She thought it was for the best. What was it she kept saying, Molly?"  
"Chins up, darlings. I know it's scary, but don't you worry your sweet little heads about all this. It's for the best, I don't want you two getting sick."  
"It was contagious?" The Sergeant asked, stunned. "It must have been really serious."  
"It was mighty serious, but it wasn't contagious." Molly said coldly. "She told us that to make us feel like it was justified." She clenched her fists. "Those developers took her away from us, and then forced us to grow up. We just woke up one morning looking like this..." She looked at her hands. "I woke up and-"  
"I woke you up, remember?" Felix asked, turning to her. "I woke up first."  
"Right, right. " Molly replied, nodding. The Sergeant looked on, a confused look crossed her face.  
"I woke up and noticed right away something was up. I went into the bathroom lo and behold, I went from this," He pointed to the little boy in the picture, "To this." He finished, shrugging his shoulders. "I was so scared I started shouting and I went to wake up Molly."  
"But the same had happened to me." Molly added. "We were so scared, and our daddy came to see what was wrong, and he'd changed too. His hair had gone all grey in places and he got wrinkles. It was an absolute nightmare."  
"Felix, why didn't you tell me all this?" Asked the Sergeant, staring at her fiancé.  
"I dunno'''. It was so long ago, I guess it just..."  
"Slipped your mind." Molly finished.  
"Yeah, I guess it did." He spat back. Molly jumped. That was the second time that day he's snapped at her, a new record.  
"Sorry." She muttered.  
"S'fine, Molly, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." He sighed, turning to her. "I guess it's just harder for me out there in my game. I'm so out of touch with all these memories and things."  
"Maybe you should visit more?" She asked timidly. He smiled and nodded.  
"I think I should. I miss having you around, Little sister." He said, throwing his arm around her and pulling her in for a hug. "I wish you and dad could come live in Niceland. Your apartment is still there for you, Molly."  
"Oh, you know daddy," Molly started, pushing him off. "He doesn't want to jeopardize the game with his 'poor removal pixelitis.'" She put air quotes around the last part of her sentence. "But I'd love to come back...but I'm not gonna leave him here."  
"You have an apartment at Niceland?" Interjected the Sergeant. "Why?"  
"Pardon?" Molly had forgotten she was there. "Oh, right. I was Felix's player two back in the day." The Sergeant's jaw dropped. "You didn't tell her that either, did you?" Molly asked Felix, who shook his head.  
"Woopsie." He squeaked. Molly shoved his head with one hand.  
"You drill bit!" She teased. "You're plum impossible, you know that?"  
"So you're the player two, huh?" Asked the Sergeant, staring at Molly. "I always thought the player two was- Well, actually I had no idea."  
"Yeah, it was me. But I was unpopular, so I got edited from the game. But whoever did it did a pretty crummy job, because now all you see outta' me in there are blurry pixels."  
"Unpopular?"  
"I died a lot. I take way too long to fix things on account of this." She pulled out her hammer. "It's silver, not as good as gold." She nudged Felix, who pulled out his own hammer. "It belonged to our mother. It's an amazing thing, it just takes a lot more work to make simple repairs." She twirled the hammer absently in her hand. "Never mind the fact I'm superior in every other way, right brother?"  
"Molly-" Felix Cried, "Don't!"  
"What? What do you mean _superior_?" The Sergeant asked, grinning at Felix, who was now trying to cover his sister's mouth.  
"I'm faster than him, and I jump higher!" Molly cried before Felix clamped his hand over her mouth. The Sergeant starting laughing.  
"It's not funny. A brother shouldn't be slower than his little sister! It's embarrassing!" He said, exasperated as Molly wrestled him off her, practically pushing onto Calhoun's lap.  
"Relax, brother, it isn't a big deal." She folded her arms. "You're still in the game, aren't you? Being fast and jumping high isn't everything."

Felix adjusted himself, awkwardly climbing off Calhoun, blushing a little.  
"Sorry, hon, she's a bit of a ruffian, isn't she?" He asked, glaring at his sister. "Besides, it's not like it's that big of a difference anyway."  
"Well...I'd say ten feet is a pretty big difference.  
"Ten feet?" Calhoun said, her jaw dropping. "That's impossible."  
"No, I'm totally serious." Molly said, grinning as Felix went to knocked her over again. She hopped up. "I'll show you, Felix c'mon, let's see who can jump higher."  
"No!" He shouted, grabbing her arm.  
"Aw, Lixie stop being a dummy. C'mon, it's just for fun!"  
"Yeah, Fix-it. It's just for fun." Said the Sergeant. Felix gave her a betrayed look.  
"But..."  
"Honestly, Felix, it's not like I care too much. No matter how high you can jump or how fast you can run, I won't think of you any less." She leaned in and kissed his forehead. "I think she's lying anyway."  
"What? No way, I'm no liar! Daddy didn't raise no fibbers!" Molly glared at them, but Felix was too busy blushing from the kiss planted on his forehead.  
"Oh rivets," She groaned. "Is this what I'm going to subjected to?" She pretended to cringe, but really she thought it was sweet how that mean looking sergeant comforted her brother when he was flustered. She approached the window and lifted it open. She climbed out onto the ledge.  
"Molly, stop!" Felix yelled, pulling away from his fiancé and scrambled to her. "That's dangerous!"  
"Oh please, we're professional building scalers." She turned her head to Sergeant Calhoun. "You ready to see something neat?" She asked playfully as Felix tried to pull her from the window.  
"You're bluffing. There's no way you can jump twenty feet in the air."  
"Watch me, sister." She scoffed, tugging her arm free from her brother as she hopped down to the ground. She landed hard, and she felt the sting in her shins, but she turned, unhurt. "Come on, brother!" She called. He was clutching the window sill.  
"I just don't see the point, Molly!" He shouted.  
"Just do it, Fix-it!" Called Calhoun's voice, and Felix was thrust out the window.

"Tamora, stop!" He screamed as he tumbled over the sill and crashed to the ground. He landed hard in front of Molly. He yelped and rolled across the ground, coming to a stop on his back. Molly fell to the ground shaking with laughter.

"I can't believe you just pushed him out the window!" She shrieked, pounding the ground with her fist. She struggled to her knees, flashing a thumbs up at The Sergeant.  
"Is he alright?" She asked from the window above. "That was a pretty bad move on my part. Sorry, sweetie!" She called. Felix struggled up. He was unhurt but he looked quite angry.  
"I'm fine, I'm fine. He turned to glare at Molly. "But you are SO going down now, sister." He stood up, stretching. "Let's go, to Rita's and back. To win you have to jump back inside the house."  
"Alright. Whoever loses has to do the dishes tonight after dinner."  
"Deal."

The siblings lined up, Molly took off her hat and tool belt, tossing them aside.  
"Count us down, Tamora." Felix called to the woman in the window. Molly could see the competitiveness in his eyes. When they'd race as children, he'd had the same gleam in his blue eyes. "Ready, Smalls?" He sneered. Molly stuck out her tongue.  
"You got an inch on me, big deal. This ain't about height, idiot." Molly hated the nickname "Smalls". It made her feel angry. She was going to beat her brother. She was going to win. "I'm ten times more ready than you."  
"On your mark! Get set!" Called Calhoun, "Go!"

Molly charged forward. She felt the air vibrate around her as she surged forward. She was programmed to be fast. She was programmed to be superior in every way. It was all she had on Felix. She had to win. In reality, her speed and her brother's were about the same, but running was something that she wanted to be good at. It was like building something. It gave her pride and exhilaration. As long as she could run, it didn't matter then everyone liked Felix better, that he was popular and well loved. It didn't matter as long as she beat him somehow.  
She could Rita's house. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She could make out the silhouette of Ralph in the picture window in the front. She pushed herself to move faster. She skidded to a halt before hitting the house. She saw Ralph at the window, staring at her. Vanellope was peeking over his massive shoulder, but in an instant, the passed from her mind and she pushed herself off the porch steps, rocketing back towards home. She saw Felix running towards her. She was winning! She felt exhilarated as she passed him, he shouted something to her, but she didn't hear it. She closed her eyes, the wind felt amazing on her face, the rush of pure speed made her want to jump and celebrate-

Something happened, but she wasn't quite sure how or what it had been. One second, she'd been running, the next, she was lying in a crumpled mass on the ground, enveloped by an excruciating pain resonating from her left leg. She tasted blood in her mouth. She managed to push herself into a sitting position. She raised her hand to her face. Her lip stung and she withdrew her hand to discover she was bleeding from her lower lip and from her nose. She stared at the spot on her hand. She tried to stand, but the pain in her leg was excruciating. She fell back down with a yelp.  
"Molly!"  
She turned her head. Felix was running towards her. His hat had fallen off and his shirt was untucked. He looked extremely worried.  
"What?" She asked airily. She felt kind of dizzy. He slid on the grass, dropping to his knees beside her.  
"Are you alright? You took a horrible spill just now!" He said, grabbing her chin and examining her face.  
"I did?" She mumbled. Her head was starting to hurt, and the pain in her leg was vivid.  
"I told you to slow down, your code was starting to show a little. You sorta tripped, and you glitched up like crazy and tumbled to the ground." He explained, tilting her head a little.  
"I think you broke your nose...And your lip is totally split open." He bit his lip. Molly suddenly remembered something.  
"Wait stop you're gonna-" She suddenly yelled, but it was too late. Felix's face had gone paper white. He dropped his hand and then thudded to the side. "Uh oh! Felix, Felix!" She shouted, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back up. She tugged her undershirt up over her nose, which stung, but she ignored it. "Felix, come on, do not do this right now! It's just a little blood, come on, wake up!" His head lolled to one side and she dropped him. She felt dizzy. She needed to get home. She could see the house in the distance. She tried to stand, lifting Felix with her. "Come on, Lixie, we gotta get home you gotta fix me..." She groaned. The pain in her leg was beyond anything she'd ever felt before. She fell back to the ground. She rolled up her pant leg to assess the damage. "Oh my land..." She breathed. Her leg was a bit out of focus, but she could tell it was broken. It bulged out where it must have been fractured. There was no blood, thank god, but it was without any doubt smashed. She whimpered. She rolled Felix over, searching for his hammer. The pain was excruciating. She thrust her hand into his tool belt, but the trusty gold hammer wasn't there. She bit her lip. She wouldn't cry. She couldn't cry. She searched wildly for the hammer, but to no avail. She grabbed her brother by the front the shirt and smacked him hard across the face, but he didn't stir.  
"Wake up!" She cried angrily. The pain was unbearable. She laid back on the grass. She could feel her leg vibrating as her code glitched. She couldn't hold the pain in much longer. "Help!" She screeched, forcing out all the air from her lungs. "Someone!" She tried to stand again, but her vision began to fade. The air buzzed around her. She saw two figures coming towards her. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her head. "Help..." She whispered. She felt her head thud against the ground as her vision went black.

She was flying. Or at least it sort of felt like it. Apart from the jolting about, and the jarring pain that racked her. She opened her eyes.  
"Ralph?" The mumbled. He glanced down at her.  
"Hey, you're awake! Are you ok?" He asked. Molly pushed herself up in his arms. They were running towards her house.  
"No." She grunted. She felt like she was going to be sick. "Where's Felix, he's gotta fix me, I feel like I'm gonna' die."  
"He isn't much help right now. What happened to him?" Ralph said. Molly hadn't noticed that Felix was hanging over Ralph's Shoulder.  
"He fainted when he saw my face." Ralph cocked his eyebrow at her. "He gets queasy around blood."  
"Figures. I sent Vanellope ahead to get your dad." But before he'd finished, There was a as Felix Sr. and the Sergeant burst from the house, followed by Vanellope. Molly clutched Ralph's shirt. She felt dizzy and she felt like she was gonna lose her lunch. She clamped her eyes shut. She could her dad shouting and Ralph calling back, and she heard the Sergeant bark something angrily but it was too blurry. She felt herself being placed down on something soft. She managed to open her eyes. She was in her room. The Sergeant was standing by, holding Felix damsel style in her arms.  
"Just toss him in the shower and get some water on him."  
"The Shower?" She asked.  
"Yeah. Just throw him right in there and turn on the water." He turned to Molly. "She doesn't look good does she?" Molly tried to sit up. "Molly, get down. You'll start glitching again."  
"Glitching...?" She muttered. The Sergeant left, taking Felix with her. Molly felt her leg shake painfully. She cried out.  
"Molly, stay still." He ran to her window, thrusting it open. "Ralph! Did you find it?" He called.  
"Yes!" Ralph called back. Felix Sr. reached out the window. When he drew it back in, he was holding Felix's golden hammer, which Molly guessed had been tossed aside when they began the race.  
"Thanks, Ralph! I really appreciate this!" Felix called as he turned to Molly again. At that same moment a shout came from the hallway.  
"TAMORA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! WHY AM I IN THE SHOWER?!" Came Felix's voice. Molly began laughing, but it hurt too much. Her head was pounding.  
"Calm down, Felix!" The Sergeant Yelled. There was a splashing sound and Felix appeared, soaking wet in the door.  
"What on earth-" He began, his voice raised angrily. But then he saw Molly. He stared for a few moments as the memory of the race rushed over him. He slapped his forehead. He immediately rushed to her, taking the Hammer from his father. "Molly, I'm so sorry." He said softly, tapping her face before he could get a good enough look at her crooked nose and split lip. Molly felt the pain in her head melt away. The pain in her leg was still excruciating, but at least the irony taste had left her mouth. "Better?" He asked. She nodded.  
"My leg..." She grunted.  
"What?" He asked. He looked at her leg curiously. "Oh!" He struck her with the hammer. She felt the pain ease. "Better?"  
"Again, please." She whispered. He obliged. The last traces of pain faded away. She managed to sit up.  
"Thanks, brother." Molly breathed, stretching her newly mended leg. It felt weak. She climbed out of bed. Grabbing his shoulder. She tested it out. It almost to buckled beneath her, but she willed it to stay put. It didn't hurt, but it was definitely weak. "What's going on?"  
"You glitched up something awful when we were running. I think you pushed your code a little too far. I called for you to slow down but you just flew right past me. I turned around to watch you and...Well, golly, it happened so fast I didn't even believe it. You just fell. You sparked funny and tumbled a few feet before you came back into focus.  
"I glitched?" She muttered, staring down at her leg. She took a few careful steps, moving closer to her father. The Sergeant and Vanellope appeared in the doorway.  
"You ok, Soldier?" The Sergeant asked. Molly nodded.  
"Yeah...Just a systematic overrun."  
"Systi-what?" Asked Vanellope.  
"Systematic Overrun. It's a potential for glitching. I guess I pushed my code too far racing Felix." She scratched her head. Her ponytail was loose. She pulled it out and redid it. "I guess my competitiveness got in the way." She awkwardly faced her brother. "It was a bad idea to race...I'm sorry for not listening to you.  
"It's fine, Molly. I'm just glad you're ok." He said smiling, patting her shoulder. "Let's put that race on hold, alright?"  
"Yeah, great idea." She said, chuckling. "I was winning though, glitch or not."  
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He said, wringing his shirt out, dripping water onto Molly's floor.  
"Felix!" She shouted angrily. She swatted at him but he ducked and exited the room, hiding behind the sergeant. "Coward." She spat playfully. She felt someone touch her arm. She turned to face her dad. His face was pale, and he looked frightened. "Daddy? What's the matter?"  
"Promise me you'll never do that again." He said sternly  
"What?"  
"Don't have a...system...run over or whatever you said it was called."  
"A system overrun?" She asked, leaning her head to one side, confused.  
"Molly, don't say another word. Just listen." He shot back.  
"Let's go downstairs." Felix muttered. He, Tamora and Vanellope departed, shutting the door behind them.  
"Molly, sit down." He sighed sadly. Molly sat. Her dad walked to her dresser, picking up the picture of her mother. "Do you remember when your mother got that color bug?" He asked softly. Molly nodded. "It was in the middle of a game trial. She jumped up to fix a window when she glitched. Her colors reversed and she fell. Do you remember that, Molly?" She nodded again. "It was one of the most horrible things that I've ever seen, Molly. The way she couldn't stop herself from shaking so violently." He held the picture close to his chest.  
"Daddy...? Molly whispered. Her father rarely spoke of her mother. She could see the tears welling up in his eyes.  
"Seeing you like that..." He choked out, coughing to cover it up. "I just don't want to lose you like I lost her, Molly." He managed. He set the picture down. He knelt in front of her. "I can't lose you, Molly. Please, PLEASE try to be more careful." She stared at him. The worry etched in his face was almost horrifying. She nodded slowly, and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
"I will daddy. I'm real sorry. I was stupid and I wasn't thinking. I was just so focused on winning I guess...I dunno."  
"It's alright. Just...no more run overs, ok?"  
"Overruns, daddy."  
"Right." He stood up. "Come downstairs and entertain the guests, will you? I've gotta finish dinner."  
"Sure thing. I'll be down in a minute."  
Felix Sr. nodded as he left. Molly walked to her closet. She faced the full length mirror. She knelt, rolling up her pants to examine her leg. It looked normal now, not blurry or out of focus. She stretched it. It felt much better now. She agreed with Felix and her father. Glitching had been the most horrible feeling that had ever swept over her.  
"I'll definitely have to be more careful." She whispered to herself, as she turned and headed down the stairs.


End file.
